BJD blockade against cut in rail allocation for Odisha

Party activists including MLAs under the banner of Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) sat on a dharna in front of the ECoR headquarters as well as the wagon repair factory at Mancheswar here.

Dubbing the action as "step-motherly" attitude towards the state, BJYD preisdent and MLA Sanjay Dasburma claimed that the ministry had so far cut down about Rs 166 crore from the allocation of Rs 723 crore for Odisha.

Stating that ECoR earned Rs 8,500 crore from Odisha sector during the last fiscal, Dasburma said the ministry allocated only Rs 723 crore against the state's demand of Rs 2345 crore for 2012-13 fiscal.

"We'll no more tolerate such attitude of the UPA government," said BJD MLA Ashok Panda demanding withdrawal of the decision to cut budgetary allocation.

Stating that the ruling party would intensify its stir against the Centre's "apathy", the ruling party said in a statement that it would take the matter to the people.

The party claimed that the Railways in September had reduced Rs 34 crore from the budgetary allocation for the state. The reduction was made in the allocation made for the ongoing Broad Gauge rail link projects between Khurda and Bolangir, Kalahandi and Jharsuguda and Talcher and Bimalagarh.

Despite the state government's opposition, railways had also cut the allocation in June this year.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also written letter to the Railway Minister opposing the reductions in allocation made for the state, the statement said.

The party MLAs also raised the issue in the assembly during the day.